Trading Places
by darkassassin152
Summary: Air. It was the last thought Bucky had as he and his friend went under the cold barrier of ice in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. The feeling was suffocating. Empty. Alone. But he was already feeling such things, the water being shoved down his throat just made it all a bit more Real. Time-travel/fem Toni/Winter Soldier Toni
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Fuck!" It was the third time this morning that Toni Stark had somehow managed to get electrocuted by her newest invention if she could even call it that. The damn thing wouldn't work and it was beginning to piss her off. "JARVIS, rerun my calculations again. This piece of shit isn't getting enough power."

"Of course Miss stark" replied the smooth British accent of the A.I. "Oh, and save all progress so far. I need to get some more coffee from upstairs since somebody broke the coffee machine down here." Toni said while looking at a very guilty DUMMY sitting in the corner in time out making very dejected whirls of what could only be described as apologies.

"Yes, Miss Stark but you must understand that DUMMY was just trying to help," Said the British voice laced with a hint of amusement if you could call it that. Could the A.I. even feel emotion? She would have to check if she put it in his programming. Was she drunk the night she built the code for his personality? Maybe, after all, it was when she was at MIT. There were lots of nights where she couldn't remember a thing due to the alcohol messing with her brain. Anyway, what was she thinking about again? Oh right, coffee. She couldn't wait to get some scorching black coffee filled with caffeine in her worn down, not to mention exhausted body.

"Tell that to my poor broken coffee machine, what it ever did to deserve such a fate, I have no idea; maybe it was a shity air conditioner in its past life. The point is, is that DUMMY is not moving from the naughty corner until I see fit that he's learnt his lesson and that there's a new coffee machine down here within the week." She finishes her rant and realised that she was at the top of the stairs leading to her lab. She set her eyes on the coffee machine in the kitchen and made a beeline for it. That is until an angry Virginia "Pepper" Potts blocked her to the cure for her exhaustion.

"Toni" Soft yet firm. Great. Just what she needs, another lecture about how she should go to the hospital …or eat …or sleep. It's been five months since the demonstration of the Jericho missile in Afghanistan and two since her escape. She was fine. Defiantly not having nightmares which is the reason why she tries to get as little sleep as possible, catnaps is the best she can do right now but they don't even last a full hour because she wakes up screaming "bloody murder" while covered in a cold sweat. So no, Toni Stark is perfectly fine and is doing a damn good job of showing it. "Hi, Pepper. Do you mind?" Skilfully slipping past the strawberry blond with years of practice, she continued to make her way to her salvation until a petite hand caught her wrist. "Toni" uh oh! "Yes?" Toni said it in the most innocent way possible but everyone knows she's hardly innocent.

"When's the last time you slept?" Yesterday. She thinks. It feels like yesterday. She still remembers the dream. Must be yesterday. "I slept last night Pepper. No worries'. I'm a big girl who can take care of herself" as she said this, her persistent assistant loosened her grip enough for Toni to pull away with ease. "And what exactly was the day yesterday?" she reached the kitchen by now and was opening a cupboard with the mugs in as she absent minded replied "Tuesday. Why?" Pepper sighed. She can mentally see Pepper behind her shaking her head as she always does when Toni is apparently oblivious to something. Like she can be oblivious to something, she a genius for crying out loud. "It's Saturday, Toni. You haven't slept for four days. That's 96 hours you've been awake, maybe even longer, you need to rest." At least she wasn't stopping Toni from turning on the coffee machine. "Are you sure it's Saturday? I'm pretty sure it's Tuesday"

"Yes, Toni. And do you want to know why I know this? I know this because there was a meeting with the Board today that you missed." Oh, there was? She doesn't remember. Maybe it was mentioned at that meeting last week. Oh. That would explain a lot since she zoned out and started to come up with new ways to improve the Mark V armour. She still to chicken thought to actually test them in flight and combat. Not that she'll ever admit that of course.

"Toni?"

She was already on to Mark VII and letting JARVIS pilot the suits to destroy SI weapons that some terrorist groups managed to get their hands on and she suspect a rat. Maybe she should have shut down the weapons division when she came back from Afghanistan but she would have scared of the rat and it's someone with so much power and authority in the business that they can actually ship of SI weapons to them, which is why they have got to be stopped. And yet that stupid piece of crap that she was playing around with a few minutes ago just doesn't want to work which is why she's made it her mission to make it work. If Toni Stark is anything, she's stubborn. After all, it's in the Starks blood to be hard headed, determined and stubborn. But despite that she has made it her mission to make it work, she … doesn't exactly know what it's supposed to do.

"Toni"

It's a minor setback but if she could just emit enough power to actually make it work. Then and only then will her mind be put at ease and curiosity satisfied. But if she even manages to get the right power levels, there's no guarantee that it will actually do something and if that's the case, she gonna get her welding torch and fry the thing until it's nothing but a smouldering pile of …..

"TONI!"

"Huh?" The shade of Peppers face at the moment compliment her hair very well, it was just the scowl that accompanied it that was making her nervous. "I'm sorry, what?" If possible, the shade of red on Peppers face just deepened to crimson with the frustration she was feeling towards Toni's obliviousness. "Have you not heard a single word I've just said?" she asked disbelievingly while slowly letting go of her hair that Toni just notices she was clutched tightly in her hands. "Um. No?"

"I said, because you weren't there at the meeting today or any other meeting for the past two months except that skype call last week, the board has proposed that you should give up your shares of the company due to fact that you are still recovering from your captivity and that it would be unsuitable for someone in your position to be the leading face of the company and that you should get rest. Obadiah has offered to take the company back off your hands until you have recovered and is acting as CEO."

Right after Pepper finished the report of the meeting, Toni was visibly shaking with rage and the cup of coffee that was poured moments before was slammed down onto the kitchen counter and smashed from the force, followed by a very serious order from Toni "JARVIS Call Obie. NOW!" She stormed out the kitchen and into the living room while waiting for her father figure to pick up the damn phone. "Toni?" a confused voice of a man sounded throughout the room. "Obie, what's going on?"

"Ah, Toni I was just about to call you about…"

"Save it, what the hell does the board think there doing? They can't push me out and what's worse is that you're supporting them!" The bitter statement would have had a grown man shaking in fear. "I don't support them Toni but the whole board agrees and I'm trying to save the company for you, so all you have to do is go to a therapist for the next year or so and the company is yours again."

"A year! No. Obie, not good enough. I can't waste my time to go to talk to someone about feeling for an hour for the next year and pay them for it." It was true. She would be too busy to do it. After all, her mind works non-stop and she needs to get every idea down on paper. If she had a whole year to herself (which might be happening!), she would spend it down in the depth of her lab.

"Well your gonna have to do it unless you want to be permanently out of the loop and don't think the board won't do it, Toni, just because your name is on the side of every product we make doesn't mean they aren't willing to do what's necessary for the good of the company."

"I think we need to have this talk face to face if we want to get anywhere, Jarvis hangs up" she ordered as she went back down to the lab to get one of her fastest cars. "Toni waits, you can't ….." Was the last thing she heard when JARVIS dropped the call and she slammed the door to her Audi R8 shut and turned on the engine.

* * *

Obie's office was clean and orderly with only a few pieces of paperwork on the deck and the state of the office seemed to reflect the state of the man behind the desk. Obie was in a clean cut black suit with a black tie and white dress shirt with the blazer around the back of the chair he was sitting on.

"Toni"

"Obie"

"I was going to tell you that it wasn't necessary to come all the way down here until you rudely hung up on me," he said. His annoyance slipping through into his voice. "Thought I would visit my new CEO to see how he was doing" she spat venomously at him and this time, the annoyance slipped into his facial features. "Oh and it was JARVIS that rudely hung up on you"

"And there's no doubt that you told him too. What do you want me to do Toni? I've done all I can and there's nothing more I can do." The heated glare he shot her way was met by her own." I want you to convince the board otherwise. I don't need therapy. I'm perfectly fine" she argued. "That's not what the board sees and not what I see. Since you got back you haven't left you house until today" Huh? Has she really not left the house for two months? No, she had to. After all, there was a thing she went to right and… and…. Maybe a gala. Wow! She hasn't left the house for two months. Now that the realisation hit her she suddenly very self-conscious being out in the open and not in the comfort of her own home. Her breathing quickened. No, no, no, no not now. Fucking panic attacks.

She opened her close eyes (when did she close them?) and saw that Obie was standing in front of her and his arms were wrapped around her in a tight embrace. It was anything except comforting but it snapped her out of the panic attack. She controlled her breathing and put on her best mask which consisted of a stoic expression.

"You can let go now, I'm fine," she said in a monotone voice. "That's what the board is talking about Toni, which is why you not getting this company back until you sort out this problem." He stated in a matter of fact tone. "It's not a problem, even if it is which it isn't; it has nothing to do with the company."

"It has everything to do with the company Toni. Imagine you had a panic attack during a press conference. Rival businesses would see this as weakness and the stockpile would drop. Understand?" he asked and had a pleading look in his eye. Toni nodded reluctantly and Obie released her and then checks his watch. "I have a meeting I need to get to. Are you ok to go home by yourself? I could have a car out front in a few minutes"

"No, I'm fine" she replied as Obie got his blazer from his chair and started to put it on. "Aright, I trust you can let yourself out" it was the last thing he said as he exited his office, leaving Toni standing there alone. A little ding alerted her that Obie had gotten some mail. Feeling that she hasn't accomplished anything today, she decides that some snooping would cheer her up. After all, she loved sticking her nose in other people's business.

Toni walk around the desk to face the computer and plopped herself in Obie's chair. It required a password, mmm Howard? No. Stark? No. Ooh, Iron Monger. Obie always referred to them as ironmongers. Now allowed access to Obie's computer, she opened his mailbox and began to skim read the list of mail until something caught her eye. It was labelled in a different language.

What she saw left her shivering in fear and disgusted. It was a video. Of her. She looked to be in a dazed state from the drugs that had been pumped into her system, for the operation to get the shrapnel out of her chest. She was kneeling on the floor with men in masks behind her holding guns to look intimidating. There were bandages all over her chest stained by blood, now dry. Her hair was a mess of wild curls that the dust and blood clung to.

They were talking in a language she has heard many times in her captivity. There was a translate button in the bottom left corner of the screen. When she clicked it, she let all the information she was hearing to be absorbed by her brain.

 _"You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Tony Stark. As you can see, Obadiah Stane your deception and lies will cost you dearly. The price to kill Tony Stark has just gone up."_

* * *

As soon as she was in the lab, she ordered JARVIS to lock it down so no one could get in. Not even someone like Pepper, who has override codes, and immediately set to work on the shity device that refused to work to pent out some of the anger and growing stress. In the end, she threw it at the nearest lab wall and stared at remains with tears in her eyes. She refused to cry. Starks don't cry. Crying shows weakness and Toni Stark is not weak. She's witty and arrogant and sarcastic but not weak.

What would Howard think of her now? Losing the company to the Board of Directors. To Obadiah. She should fight, to be that thorn in their side but Toni Stark is no fool. Even though she now she has evidence against Obadiah, the court case will take months to finish due to the accusation's and people involved. She knows a losing battle when she sees one and the odds are not in anyone's favour. The company would be ruined and public image and trust are all but scattered to the wind.

She was held captive in a desert for three mouths and being tortured weekly all because her father figure thought she had given all she could give to the company and wanted to take it over himself. All for Money! You'd have to be pretty heartless to do that to someone you practically raised.

Right now, she's already pick up the hunk of junk that is her invention and put it near the couch in the far right corner of her bright white lab located in the basement of her Malibu home, where she was now lying down and slowly closing her eyes, letting the blissful peace wash over her as her tense muscles relaxed and the darkness consumed and trapped her in past memories of the cave in Afghanistan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Toni woke up to the smell of something burning. She should be thankful because it brought her out of her nightmare right when it decided to become terrifying but the fact that she was getting burned made her jump right up of the coach and furiously rub the spot where a spark landed. It was her invention, frying its self from the inside out. Thankfully DUMMY chose the right time to become useful and sprayed the contents of the fire extinguisher on it before it caught on fire.

Great, just great. Her workbench was now covered in white foam along with a caracole lump of junk that frustrated her to no end. She patted DUMMYS arm and then removed the black chunk of metal and started to wipe it down with an oily rag. "Damn thing" she muttered under her breath. "This is being just as stubborn as the time I made that new element for the arc reactor" wait a minute "That's it!" she yelled.

"May I ask what you're talking about Miss?" said the all-knowing voice that is JARVIS. "JARVIS I need some power transfer cables that are easy to connect to the arc reactor" she was bouncing with joy over to a clean work bench. "I'm sorry Miss but it seems that all equipment that you require for the arc reactor including the power cables is still located in the stark international HQ in New York"

Ah, that's a problem. "How fast can it all be shipped over?"

"It will take 3 days for everything to arrive Miss" she can't wait that long. She needs something to do. Anything, just as long as she can keep her thoughts of Obadiah. She can't work on the suits, the only reason she built them was to destroy her weapons, to right her wrongs. She built the first one in a cave out of a box of scraps with Yinsen. The same cave that belonged to the terrorist than Obadiah had hired to kill her. So no, suits aren't an option.

"How quick can I get there?"

"If you leave right now Miss, under 4 hours via your privet jet. Over 5 for commercial" good, may as well. The further she was from Obadiah, the better. "Get the jet ready, I'm leaving now. Oh and JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"I don't want anybody to know where I'm going, not Pepper, not Rhodey and especially not Obadiah and make sure the lab at HQ is ready for when I get there" If she wasn't the head of her business anymore, she doesn't want Obadiah tracking her every movement. "Yes Miss, should I delete all track record of you using the plane as well?" Ah. JARVIS always asks the right questions. "Please do baby, I'll see you in New York. Oh and make sure my babies have hidden away from prying eyes and no more missions until I return" her babies, of course, are her precious suits and missions are sending said "precious suits" to destroy SI weapons. She had already packed away her device into a silver briefcase and was heading to her Audi R8. "Have a safe flight Miss; I look forward to seeing you soon"

* * *

The fact she wasn't bothered to change clothes that she had been wearing for 5 days and clean up for her journey proved how distressed she was, even here in her own home. At least she can get away for a short while.

She had left California at 9:30am (PST) and had arrived at New York at 10am (AST). The flight was relatively smooth and there were no disturbances on the ground thanks to JARVIS and to be honest, it not like anyone will recognise her. She was dressed in ripped jeans and a black tank top with a thick sports bra to stop the glow of the arc reactor and her hair in a messy bun. She snagged some sunglasses from somewhere just to make sure because, come on, if anyone caught Toni Stark dressed like this in pubic, then her public image would be even more tainted than it actually is.

She carried the silver briefcase by her side while getting into a black sedan that JARVIS so kindly asked for and ordered the driver to take her to SI HQ. The drive was long and boring; it seemed she arrived in the rush hour. It's been awhile since she seen the city that never sleeps. The bright lights and Nose seemed a bit new to her but it's just as she remembered.

The car stopped outside a big skyscraper on the main street and she stepped out into the dense air of the city filled with countless chemicals that she had grown accustomed to. She walked in and was greeted by a receptionist's desk. When she reaches it, the receptionist was on the phone chatting away with a boyfriend or something and it didn't sound good. She didn't even notice her presence when she tapped her shoulder. She looked kind of like a Barbie with the blond hair and petite bone structure except her face was orange with foundation and her hair was tied up in a slutty way.

She waited for about 5 seconds before her patience ran out and she switched off the plug the phone was connected to. The receptionist now dubbed as Slutty Barbie was about to yell at her but stopped when she removed her sunglasses and showed her ID pass.

"Oh My God! Miss Stark, we weren't expecting a visit from you today" Slutty Barbie plastered on a fake smile probably to try and make up for some of her rude behaviour "I decide I needed to check up on the lab facilities here today, I hope you don't mind after all it sounded like you and your boyfriend have some issues to work out" The murderous glare was what she was going for but before slutty Barbie could counter attack, a man interrupted. He was an average height man, black hair, and pretty face and dressed in a white, crisp lab coat.

"Miss Stark, what a surprise, we weren't expecting you. Please forgive her" he gestured to the slutty Barbie. "She's new." Slutty Barbie opened her chap-lipped mouth to, no doubt, defend herself but was stop by the heated glare this man throw at her. "I'm Jason Anderson. Head of R&D here at SI HQ. May I ask why you are here?"

"Checking the labs and picking up some equipment for a little project of mine" He was hesitant. Keeps twitch, it's unnerving. "I'm sorry Miss Stark but I'm afraid that you no longer have the authorization to do that"

"Excuse me? I no longer have the authorization to check some labs and pick up a few things from the very business I own?" She's only known Pretty Face for a minute and she already hates his fidgeting guts. "I'm sorry Miss Stark but you no longer own this business, Mr Stane does. It was confirmed a few hours ago."

Uh. It's already public news. The labs, she gets but seriously, can't she even get a few pieces of equipment. That she designed. "Ok, I'm not in a good mood this morning and all I want is for you get out of my way so I can get some sensitive equipment that I need and trust me when I say that it's not useful here" she had a point. I mean, how many other arc reactors are there in the world.

"Please Miss Stark, your causing a scene" she had raised her voice without even knowing it and had quite a few pair of eyes on her but she was born and raised in the spotlight. A little thing like this was nothing compared to some other stunts she's pulled. "Do you think I care? You are to take me where I want to go. Understand?" The poor man looked like he was about to piss his pants right then and there.

"Ok" it was barely auditable but it satisfied her. Everyone was looking at her in shock, after all, this is a side of her she tries to keep out of the media. Pretty Face scuttled away with her following. She has to do this quick. No doubt that someone called for security and as she stated to pretty face earlier, she was in the mood to deal with all this shit especially being manhandled by big brutes dressed in black.

They had reached the storage room where she had requested to be taken to and collected the cables she needed. Their next stop was the closest lab, she had to power it here due to the ruckus she caused earlier. If she tries to leave they will probably let her but the cables are going to have to stay with them, you know, something to do with work policy and how nothing that belongs to Stark industries can leave the premises.

As soon as they arrived, she ordered Pretty Face to leave her be and to not breathe a word of where she was to anybody. She set the silver briefcase down on the nearest workbench and opened it to reveal the, hopefully functioning, black lump. "JARVIS, you with me?"

"Yes, Miss Stark" Good, now she has someone to watch her back. "I need you to lock down this lab and all pathways to it, Got it?"

"Yes, Miss Stark but May I ask why the building security is on high alert? If there is a threat in the building I advise you to leave the premise"

"No need J, I am the threat" was the muffled reply to the A.I.s questions and concerns as she was stripping off her tank top at the time. "And what have you done this time Miss?" Was that sass. Oh My God, her own A.I. just sassed her. "I didn't do anything that wasn't within my rights" True enough in her opinion. "I don't doubt it, Miss"

"Uh huh, J is there a chair anywhere, preferably not a lab stool" she waited patiently for the A.I.s response until a very loud bang was heard from the labs one and only door. "Miss Stark, we know you're in there. Please unlock the door" Fuck! Just when everything was going her way. It was Pretty Face, wasn't it? She knew she should of hog tied him and chucked him in a cleaner's cupboard. But Noooo! She had to feel nice today. "There a chair in a joint lab to you right Miss"

"Right, Thanks, J. How long until they break down that door?" she took the cables and her invention into the joint lab and sat in a chair while fiddling to get the cable hooked up to the lump of coal. "You have a few minutes Miss. I'll try to hold them off while you finish your experiment." Right, the cables and the gizmo are now connected, all she has to do is hooked it up to her arc reactor.

She very gently pulled out the reactor and her hand with the cord in was hovering above the socket. "Here goes nothing" she muttered as she connected the two and she suddenly felt very dizzy. The last remaining sounds she heard before she fell unconscious was the crash of the lab door being burst open in the next room and lots of feet running.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

She woke up with three things in mind. First, _Ouch!_ What the fuck happened? Felt like she had been dropped from a four store building. At least, gravity gave her the curtesy on landing on her ass. She didn't think she could take a hit that hard to the face, especially the way she back felt. Secondly, why was she outside? She remembers very clearly that she did her experiment inside, there was the lab, the shouting security, Pretty Face and … _ugh_ , Slutty Barbie. She should get her fired. With a face like that, she could get another job with ease. And finally, who was the small shrimp of a man standing over her, asking her if she alright? Oh, she should say something. She has been staring into his icy blue eyes for her entire mental speech. She moves to speak but the only sound that escapes her lips is a very tried and painful groan.

"Here. Let me help ma'am" He bent down and tried to help her up. The gesture was a nice one at that but he could not relative do anything, so she had to pull her own weight. As soon as she was on her feet, she began to feel an annoying nagging pain in her right ankle; probably broken, and leant on the nearest thing she could find for support. Which just so happened to by one short, blonde and … _handsome_?

"Are you alright? ma'am" He was blushing and what's with the ma'ams? Despite looking young, he talks like an old man. Oh, right. Still needs to speak. "Urr, yeah. Peachy" Her throat felt raw and she sounded groggy. This has got to be the longest time her brain has ever rebooted itself. "Are you sure? Looks like you need to go to the hospital … and get some new cloths"

"What are you talking about, my clothes are fine" She slowly drifted off towards the end as she was now looking down at her topless chest. Thankfully she still had her bra. But there was no sign of her device…. Or her arc reactor. She felt the air leave her lungs and eyes widen in panic as she placed her hand where it should have been. Not only was that gone but the scars too. That one glowing reassurance that she was alive and terrible reminder of what she went through was …. Gone. Disappeared. Poof. "Hey, are you alright?" His voice was urgent. Wonder why? She was grabbed by the shoulders and was one again looking into icy blue eyes which held concern and determination.

"You're breathing too fast. You need to calm down. Breathe with me here. Come on. In…. and Out. In… and Out. There you go, focus on me." He's surprisingly calming. For a shrimp. Her breathing evened out and she was beginning to realise that she couldn't feel the cold anymore. Sneaky shrimp, he put his coat over her shoulders, where his hands had been when she wasn't looking. She hates being handed things but the warmth of the coat seems to be outshining her usual attitude too was people she hasn't met before.

She stopped her internal ramble to focus of the shrimp getting out an inhaler and taking slow deep breaths. "no" she hadn't meant for her response to his question to come out so weak. She cleared her throat. "I mean no, no hospitals" he very gently wiped some blood from her forehead. Ow, since when did her head feel like it had been split open? Did she actually fall? And if she did, where did she fall? She hasn't woken up in an ally way in a while. Before Afghanistan.

"But there's blood. You need to have that check out before it becomes infected" she looked back at his face and snorted. "You're one to talk, what happened to you?" He had a black eye and a busted lip and his blond hair, that looked so used to being combed down neatly, was in disarray. "Perfectly fine ma'am. No need to worry about me. What I want to know is how a pretty dame such as yourself, found her way down to this place and how she ended up in such a state?" _Dame,_ she was no Dame. Who said anything about being a Dame? "You're on a need to know bases here shrimp, and that is something you don't need to know"

"My names not shrimp; it's Steve, Steve Rogers" Rogers. As in _Captain America,_ Rogers. National icon, Rogers. The person Howard looked for, for the rest of his miserable life. Rogers. No, no parent calls there kid after an American hero and said American hero is supposedly dead so that means that she actually managed to make a time machine, which is ridiculous.

But it would explain her arc reactor. If she got blast into the past, then there's a plausible explanation for why her arc reactors not in her chest. It could be that her body has de-aged a few months back into her pre-Afghanistan state. He held out his right hand for a hand shake due to his left hand being too preoccupied in keeping her falling flat on her face. "Toni"

"No last name? Toni" Best to keep that fact to herself if she wants to test her theory. "Nope, just Toni" They were now heading towards the end of the ally where Rogers asked "If you don't want to go to the hospital, at least let me take you home" Home? She has no home. In 70 years she will but now at the start of WWII. Howard? No, she'll be dammed if she when to him for help. He wouldn't even believe her, no one will and the device is gone along with her reactor. So no getting home… yet. She can still try to recreate it but she needs materials and the latest tech. so it's not happening anytime soon. But Steve becomes Captain American because of the serum. The same serum her father helps to create. So all she has to do is buddy up with Rogers until then.

"I don't have a home, the " she said with honesty, raw emotional honesty that she did not realise she felt until now. It seems the situation is starting to get to her. Not getting home…ever! "You're homeless?" He sounded shocked, mustn't be common for a "Dame" to be homeless 1940 then. "Yes"

"I can't leave you here in this state all alone"

"So take me to the nearest shelter. I'm sure I can handle the rest myself."

"No, that wouldn't be proper of me…. You can stay with me if you like" Wow, wasn't expecting it to be so easy. She didn't even ask him or use her pouty face. "Are you sure? I don't want to cause a fuss"

"Its fine, all I have to do is check with my roommate" Roommate? That might be a problem. "Will he be alright with this?"

"Yeah, he's my best friend and it's only until you can pick yourself up" They walk onto the street and it's still the noisy New York she remembers but the flashy lights are gone. How sad. The big plasma screens with the shitty advertisement always gave her comfort. Shows the development of technology and as a bonus, nothing's dark, like ever. She hates the dark and with the reactor gone, she no longer has an excuse to not use a night light. Do they even have those? Not like she would use one or anything but since her trip to Afghanistan, she hates cold, damp and dark places. For example, a cave. A cave is a pretty good example of those exact conditions.

"Ok then. What's your roommate's name?" she had a pretty good idea of who it might be but she had to make sure. It's been a long time since she's heard her father tell her stories of "Captain America and the Howling Commandos" By the time she realised that she would never be what Howard wanted, she stopped listening to his rants of the "Good Ol' Days" and tented to tune them out if he was telling her one or avoid him to stop him from having a serve case of nostalgia.

"James Buchannan Barnes but he's called Bucky for short" Uh huh, just as she thought. But the way Steve's face just lightens up when talking about him, when he dies he gonna be crushed. She wrapped Steve's coat around her tightly due to the cold weather and bazar stares. She has never been self-conscious about her body before except the reactor and scars she got a few months ago… or will get seventy years from now? Oh well, time formalities, who need them? "This way ma'am"

"Enough with the ma'ams already! You make me sound so old. Just call me Toni" Oops. That was a bit too loud. Yep, people are staring. Meanwhile, the expression on Steve's face was one of a Deer caught in the headlights. "Sorry, didn't mean to be that loud" she grinned sheepishly at him while tightening the coat around her like a cocoon. "Um, no. it's okay ma'am...TONI! I mean Toni" As if to make the situation more awkward, he coughed nervously. It was funny watching him blush furiously while looking at the ground expecting to be scolded like a little kid and with the size of him, it really did look like it. Without realising it, a giggle slipped past her lips and reached Steve's bright red ears. He looked up and rubbed the back of his neck while a small smile tugged at his lips. Before they knew it, they burst out laughing together in the middle of the street and got more than a few curious stares.

They started to walk to, where she assumed Steve's apartment was, in a comforting silence which was greeted by a few questions about the other on both sides.

* * *

The apartment was, in one word, cosy. Outdated obviously but cosy never the less. It was certainly warmer than outside, in the sub-zero winter conditions. They were on the third floor of an apartment complex in Brooklyn. The apartment was small but not cramped. The walls were a warm, welcoming beige decorated with high-quality drawings in picture frames and there was a medium sized window on the left wall, looking down at the street below. There was a pink antique Couche on the far right wall facing the window but between the two, there was a wooden coffee table with a radio on top of it along with a newspaper and a coffee mug. The carpet, form where she stood, was smudged brown with dirt from the continuous outings they had but the rest of it was kept relatively clean. At the end of the room, there were two doors, side by side, that probably led to the bedrooms of her generous host. Speaking of him, he headed straight to the left door on the other side of the room and did a light little knock. "Bucky, are you up?"

There was a sound of something heavy hitting the ground, then a very feminine giggle. Heavy footsteps approached the door, and then it opened but only a sliver. She was watching the whole thing from the door of the apartment, out of view. "Steve! Why are you asking? You never ask especially when…. You know, I have a _guest"_

"You mean your one night stands. Yeah Buck, I know but I have a guest of my own" the shock was evident in Bucky voice. "You brought someone home? Oh, you sly dog. Is she pretty?" she could hear the shit eating grin on his face as he said it, which is why she chose that moment to get introductions out of the way. She walked across the room and stepped next to Steve. "To answer your questions, yes and yes" Steve looked thankful for the save while Bucky looked taken back be the sudden appearance and the blunt answer she gave in Steve's place. "Except…you know, I'm not that type of _guest_ " she said in a mocking tone as she mimicked Bucky's hesitance. His mouth was gapping and she felt the need to lift the bottom jaw up so he wouldn't catch a fly. Instead she settled for smirk and held out her hand for a handshake while the other kept the coat closed. He shook himself out of his shock and grabbed her offering hand firmly. "I'm Bucky….. Barnes" he sounded very dazed and by the look on Steve's face, he didn't act this way often or even at all. Looks like no girl has ever made him speechless but of course, Toni Stark is no girl. She's something more, much more "Harrumph, I mean, Bucky Barnes ma'am" he said while he let go of her hand.

"One, I'm Toni. Two, don't call me ma'am and Three, I think there's someone waiting for you and we don't want to keep you waiting. It was nice meeting you, even in such an inappropriate way but don't worry, people have met me in much worse conditions, isn't that right Steve?"

At that moment, Bucky's _guest_ popped her head out of the door. "Come on Bucky, it's too early to get up. Come back to bed… _with me_ " she whispered the last bit into his ear while looking at Toni out of the corner of her eye. That girl really knows how to pick her enemies doesn't she? Maybe, that's Slutty Barbie's grandmother or maybe there're too many horny women who look the same. She can't remember all their faces. Her memory is too precious to waste storage like that when it can be put to better use. She turned to shrimp and asked "Don't suppose you have a spare top that would fit, do you?" he shook his head. "Thought so" she mumbled. Suddenly a grey top was being handed to her. The one giving it to her? A very topless Bucky Barnes. "I don't like being handed things"

"Don't be stubborn. Take the damn top. Not like I'm using it or anything" he shoved it into her arms and closed the door. Seconds later, a delighted squeal followed by laughter was heard for the other side. "Steve, is this your bedroom?" She pointed to the door next to Buckys.

"Yes. Why?"

"Can I use it to quickly change into Barnes top? Don't get me wrong, I'm fine doing it here but I don't want you to become a blushing mess for the next hour" she said chuckling while thinking about how their entry journey here, Steve tried his hardest to supress his blush but he was failing, miserably. She could just make out the faint dust of pink on his cheeks as he agreed and she stepped into his room closing the door behind her.


End file.
